Circular knitting machine



April 12, 1932. A. E. PAGE 1,853,519

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 12, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet l l INVENTOI? I 1 ALBERT E.PAGE

by k2: diiwvzeys April 12, 1932. PAGE 1,853,519

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 12, 1928 GSheetS-Shpet 2 90 F ma ,w m J MIN] k I 7 1 INVE TOR z ALBERT E. PAGE T 2;; 2225' afar/ regs April 12, 1932.

A. E. PAGE CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 12, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 ALBERT E. PAGE by k2: die/rays April 12, 1932. 5 PAGE 1 ,853,519

C IRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 12, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 ,mum

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April 12, 1932. E, PAGE 1,853,519

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 12, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN T08 by 222'; aZZorzzegs ALBERT EPAGE. I

April 12, 1932. A; 5, PAGE 1,853,519

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 12, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 |=ic1.ll:l-- 547 50 410 4.9.9

550 a ,J/ J60 INVENTOR ALBERT E. PAGE by 7221': 42 220272 e51:

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Patented Apr. 12, 1932- um'rnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

(ALBERT n. raen, or nnooxmm, New YORK, ASSIGNOB 'ro soon a WILLIAMS, m

' CORPORATE), OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Application filed January 12, 1928. serial in. 240,243.

This invention relates to circular knitting machi-ner and more particularly to machines a apted to knit narrowed andwidened pockets on opposite sides of a seamless stocking.

Automatic seamless stockings in which the looped course of the toe comes on the underside of the stocking have been known for a great many years and it is one object of the present invention to make an improved machine, which knits these pockets on opposite sides'of the stock:

ing without discontinuing the drive of the needle cylinder or any other part of the machine. Anothenobject of the invention is to produce a machine which will knit stockings with the toe pocket attached to the instep side of the foot without causing undue wear on the machine. Another object of the invention is to make the machine in a manner which will not involve a rebuilding of the ordinary machine.

In machines made according to the present invention the angular relation of the needle cylinder and the cam cylinder is changed from the normal so that the needle cylinder if that is the driven or rotating cylindermakes a greater or fewer number of revolutions in a complete racking around of the pattern chain than would normally be the case. In the example shown in the drawings the needle 0 linder makes one more revolution in a comp ete racking around of the pattern chain than would normally be the case. This is achieved by mechanism which involves a special manipulation of the conventional clutch for changing from reciprocatory to round-a'nd-round knitting. This manipulation takes advantage of the difference" in speeds of the mechanisms for driving the needle cylinder during rotary and reciprocatoryknitting and of the fact that there are short periods of time in the cycle of operation when the cylinder may be driven by either driving mechanism to vary the rotary position of the cylinder with relation to the rest of the movements of the machine. In other words means are provided to shift the clutch of rotary knitting a sufficient length of time prior to the shift of the knitting cams to machines adapted to makeof the driving mechanism of the well-known Scott & Williams type of revolvin needle cylinder hosiery machine, showing the novel clutch shifting means just half a revolution of the needle cylinder before the clutch shifts into rotary knitting;

Fig. 2 is an elevation from the right side of the same machine showing the driving gears, quadrant, and auxiliary pawl with the quadrant in mid-position; the dotted arrows showing the direction of movement of the parts and the dot and dash lines the position of the pitman when the quadrant is movin downwardly, and the solid arrows and dotte pitman showing the directions and position when the quadrant is moving upwardly;

Fi 3 is an elevation similar to Fig. 2 showing t e driving mechanism at the moment after the clutch has been shifted to rotary knitting according to the new invention;

Fig. 4 is an elevation from the left side of the machine showing certain needle cam control mechanism;

Fi 5, 6 and 7 are a plan view, an elevation and a perspective view respectively, of the new raising and lowering cams;

Figs. 8 and 9 show respectively the left and right clutch pinions of the clutch;

Fig. 10 is a development of the interior of the cam cylinder showing the knitting cams the arrow showing the direction of move-- ment of the needles Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating the relation of the needle butts to the throat late just1 before shifting the clutch coming 05 the hee i Fig. 12 is a similar diagram illustrating the relation of the needle butts to the throatplate just before shifting the clutch coming off the toe, while Fig. 13 is a view of the foot of one form of stocking knitted on the new machine with the loopers rounds located under the toe.

In the machines heretofore known for knitting narrowed and widened pockets on opposite sides of the stocking tube it has been necessary to break the connection between tlfe needle c linder on the one hand and the clutch and t e driving means on the other, 1n

order toallow the needle cylinder to stand 5 still while the relative position of the rest of the machine was varied. A'large amount of extra mechanism was necessary and these parts produced ve uneven strains upon the machine. I have iscovered that this elaborate and unsatisfactory mechanism can be done away with and re laced by a more sat isfactory construction in which the regular clutch of the seamless hosier machine Is used to change the relation 0 the cyl nder without discontinuing the drive of any part of the machine while the rest of the machine continues to move.

The invention will be shown and described embodied in the machine forming the sub- 'ect matter of the patent to Robert W. Scott umber 1,152,850 dated September 7, 1915. In this machine the needle cylinder 260 is driven from the main drive shaft 32 by means of the main bevel gear 31. Motion is communicated to the main drive shaft by a clutch collar 33 splined thereon and having a tenon 331. The clutch engages the reciprocating mechanism when its tenon dovetails with the left clutch pinion 35, and with the rotary mechanism when it. engages the face 37 of the ri ht clutch pinion 38. Power is transmitte to the clutch pinions in a manner which will now be described.

When the needle cylinder is to make roundand-round, i. e., rotary knitting, the clutch collar 33 is at the right hand with its tenon 331 engaged in a notch 37 or a notch 37 in the face 37 of the right clutch pinion 38.

This right clutch pinion 38 is unitary with a hollow sleeve 39 on which the driving pulley 42 is mounted. If it is desired to revolve the machine at a different rate of speed, the driving belt can be shifted to a pulle 47, which, while it is free to revolve with re ation to the above mentioned hollow sleeve, is connected by a train of gears to the right clutch pinion 38. This tram of gears comprises a hi h speed driving pinion 49 revolving with t e pulley 47 and a gear meshing with the pinion 49. This gear or plate gear 65 is carried just outside the frame F of the machine on the shaft 55, and on the other end of the shaft, just inside the frame of the machine, is a segment driving gear 60 meshing with the previously mentioned right clutch pinion The left clutch pinion 35 is operated from the segment driving gear 60 by means of a pitman mounted on this gear 60 and connected to the usual'quadrant or sector in such a manner that the revolution of the quadrant drivin gear 60 gives an oscillatory motion to t e quadrant. It will be observed that the speed of the rightclutch pinion 38 is always the same relatively to the and in the machine shownin the draw the gears are so cut that the right clutch pinion 38 will make four revolutions while the quadrant 75 is completing one cycle of movement, i. e., one complete reciprocation. Assuming that the pulle 42 is used to reciprocate the needle cylin er, the power from the pulley is transmitted through the hollow sleeve 39, the right clutch pinion 38, segment driving gear 60, pitman 70 and quadrant 75 to the left clutch pinion 35 where the clutch collar 33 transmits the reciprocatory motion to the main drive shaft 32.

I will now describe the mechanism heretofore used for shifting the clutch collar 33 from one clutch pinion to the other. This comprises a clutch fork 92 gripping the collar by a peripheral groove and slidably mounted on the machine by a fixed rod 93. There is a clutch cam drum 90 located directly underneath the clutch fork 92 a grooved cam path on its circumference, and the fork is shifted from left to right by means of a stud 89 on the clutch fork lyin in the cam ath. This cam drum 90 is racked around un er the control of the pattern chain by mechanism which will now be described.

Turning in unison with this clutch drum 90 is a main rack wheel81 having teeth out on its circumference at irregular intervals. This main rack wheel and the clutch drum 90 are fixed tightly on the pattern drum shaft 80. Revolving loosely on this shaft is the sprocket wheel 84 carrying the pattern chain 85 and a chain rack wheel 86 fastened to the sprocket wheel 84.

Thepattern 0 ain 85 is racked around steadily from the uadrant 75. This rackmg of the pattern 0 ain and the quadrant is obtained by means of a pawl 87 on the quadrant acting on the pattern chain rack wheel 86. Since the quadrant always moves in definite timed relation to the right clutch pinion 38 and the shaft 55, it follows that the pattern chain is always racked around at the same speed relatively to the driving ulleywhichever pulley is doing the driving. Since the round-and-round movement of the needle cylinder is alwa s obtained from the right clutch pinion 38 y the same train of gears it follows that the pattern chain is always racked at the same speed relatively to the round-and-round movement of the needle cylinder. The to-and-fro movement of the needle cylinder, being obtained through the quadrant 75, also bears a fixed timed relation to the racking of the pattern chain, although that relation is not the same as in the case of round-and-round knitting.

When the clutch collar 33 is in its right hand position in en agement with the clutch pinion 38, the nee le cylinder 260 and the clutch pinion 38 revolve in unison, the pattern chain being racked forward once every having four such revolutions of the needle cylinder. For every four revolutions of the right clutch pinion 38 the left clutch pinion 35 1s turned once in each direction, each movement of this pinion in one direction therefore being equal to two complete revolutions of the needle cylinder during round and round knitting.- When the clutch 33 is in its left hand position the needle cylinder is reciprocating but the left clutch pinion is still driven in the same manner and therefore it will be observed that relatively to the pattern chain the circumferential speed of the needle cylinder is twice as great during round-and-round knitlfing as during reciprocatory knitting.

I shall now describe the mechanism controlling the timing of the ordinary shifting of the clutch from round-and-round to reciprocatory knitting, and from reciprocatory back again to round-and-round knit-ting.

In the example of the invention shown in the drawings the shifting from round-andround to reciprocating knitting is unchanged as far as concerns the clutch and quadrant. The chain pawl 87 in racking the pattern chain around brings the lugs on the links of the pattern chain under a pawl controller 83 mounted on the fixed rod 93 and this pawl controller has a finger 830 underlying a main pawl 82 carried by the quadrant 7 5'the panel being adapted. to engage the teeth of the main rack wheel 81. This finger 83a is so positioned as to hold the main pawl 82 out of engagement with the main rack wheel 81 except when the pawl controller is tipped by a lug on the pattern chain. By these means the main rack wheel 81 and the clutch drum 90 can be racked forward every timea lug on the pattern chain comes under the pawl controller. These two pawls 87 and 82 are ordinarily moving in opposite directions (Fig. 3). The two pawls are mounted on the quadrant in such a relation and the cams on the urface of the clutch drum 90 are so located that the clutch drum ordinarily forces the clutch collar 33 from engagement with the clutch pinion face 37 to the clutch pinion 35, or vice versa, when the quadrant is inthe middle of its downward stroke.. At this moment the pinions 35 and 38 are revolving in the same direction. (See the dotted arrows adjacent the quadrant and pinion 35 and the arrow adjacent the pinion 38 in Fig. 2). The pinion 38-whichis revolving at twice the speed of pinion 35-has just caught up with the pinion 35 and the shifting of the clutch is therefore easily made. Similarly when shifting from reciprocating to rotary knitting the two pinions are both revolving in the same direction when the shift is made.

The applicant has noted that when the machine is shifting from to-and-fro knitting to round-and-round knitting, the direction of the last oscillation or movement transmitted through the quadrant is in the same-direction as the rotary or forward motion of the needle cylinder. The applicant has also noticed that the average circumferential speed of the needle cylinder during reciprocation is half the speed during rotary knitting, and since shifting of the clutch does not aflfect the speed with which the pattern chain is racked, the applicant has discovered that if, when changing from reciprocatory to rotary. knitting, the clutch is shifted into engagement with the right clutch face 37 at the beginning of the last oscillatory movement in the forward direction, rather than at the middle of that movement, the needle cylinder will be running at a higher speed for a larger proportion of the total number of drive pulley revolutions or quadrant reciprocations permitted by the pattern chain in the making of a stocking. As above explained, the quadrant is in its middle position (Fig. 2), (the pitman to the left and the pinion 35 and quadrant moving in the directions of the dotted arrows--the solid arrows show movements when the quadrant is rising), when the shift is ordinarily made from reciprocatory to rotary knitting, and therefore if the shift is made when the quadrant is in its uppermost position i. e., one revolution of the right driving pinion 38 previous to the normal time, the needle cylinder will have completed a whole revolution by the time the quadrant is in its middle position. In other words the needle cylinder will have gone half a revolution further than was heretofore possible.

This gives the necessary advancement of the the toe on the opposite side of the stocking from the heel, and by making the same change in time of shifting the clutch when coming off the toe, the machine will be brought around again to the proper position for making of the heel. This radically new construction and operation has a number of advantages over other structures for making toe pockets on the instep side of the stocking, as will be hereinafter set forth.

In order to carry out this shifting of the clutch sooner than usual when going off the heel and toe, I prefer to provide mechanism other than the pawl 82 adapted to rack the cam drum 90 and the main racking wheel 81 slightly soon'er than usual in a manner which does not disturb the pattern chain in any way. This mechanism involves an auxiliary hook pawl 11'6 controlled by a cam 119 on the plate gear 65 giving the shaft 80 a short rack sufficient to shift the clutch shifter fork 92 but without completing the rack for the ordinary change from reciprocatory to round-and-round knitting or vice versa' as the case may be. In order to accomplish this the cams on the surface of the clutch drum 90 which cause the fork to shift over, are

position, This early racking o the main rack wheel 81 is caused by a cam 119 on the side of thegear 65, engaging one arm of a bell crank lever 118 pivoted on the pattern drum shaft 76. The other arm of that bell crank lever carries the hook pawl 116 adapted to engage one of two cams 117 mounted on the circumference of the belt shifter drum 102. This belt shifter drum is fast 'on the pattern chain shaft 80 and it will be obvious that when the cam on the plating gear 65 hits the bell crank lever the auxiliary pawl will give the cam drum a short rack whenever the racking of the main rack wheel has brought the cam on the belt shifter drum within reach of the pawl. One of the .cams

on the belt shifter drum is for going off the heel and the other for going off thetoe. The

pawl 116 is held in contact with the surfacev of the belt shifter drum by a tension spring 116a.

Much less strain is put on the machine if the advancing of the needle cylinder between the making of the heel pocket and the making of the toe pocket, is done when going off the heel rather than when going into the toe. Thus, I prefer to make both the gains of the needle cylinder take place when changing from reciprocating torotary-knitting, it being immaterial to the other functions of the standard seamless hosiery machine of today whether or not the cylinder is half a revolution ahead of the rest of the machine during the knitting of the foot. In order that the machine may have its normal timing, during the manufacture of the welt and the leg, it is advisable to advance the cylinder a second half revolution immediately after the completion of the toe, which returns the machine to its normal timing. The-plate gear 65 makes one revolution to four revolutions of the needle cylinder and the cam on that gear engaging the bell crank lever is so located as to cause a'racking movement of the auxiliary pawl when the quadrant is at the end of its upward oscillation as shown in Fig. 3.

In order to cause the necessary mani ulation of the needles for the formation 0 heel and toe ockets on opposite sides of the knitted tu e, special knitting cams are used. In addition to the usual stitch cams 361, 360 and top center cam 357, with the usual lifter picks 650 and lowering or dropper pick 680, It is desirable to provide separate cams for raising and lowering the needles at the heel and toe and also a special draw-down camlocated just after the regular stitch cams. j v

The cams far raising and lowerin the groups of needles at the beginning an end ofthe heel and toe are mounted on a bracket.

411' and are operated from a vertical rod 216 by'novel means including a pin 228 carried in the sleeve of the dropper arm 218. J The bracket is mounted on a horizontal portion of the s'tationa cam rin 271 which is carried by the bedp ate B 1g. bears against l'ever's 437 a 8 pivoted on opposite sides of the bracket 411 and operating the raising cam 439 and lowering cam 440 respectively The lever 437 when raised by the pin 228 rs against the end of a cam slide 441 causing movement of the raising cam toward the needle butts. This cam slide is adjustable by means of a screw 448 and there is a spring 442 tending to withdraw the cam outwardly away from the needle butts. The lowering cam 440 is on a slide 443 carried on the'side of the bracket 411 by means of a screw 444 taking inte'a slot in the slide (Fig. 6), and there is a spring 445 tending to retract the cam. The outer end of the slide is in contact with an adjustment screw 446 73. The pin 228 c n 43 carried in a swinging lever 447 pivoted on the bracket on a point intermediate its ends. At the end of the lever op osite tothe screw 446, the lever contacts wit1 the bell crank lever 438, already mentioned, which lies in the path of the pin 228 on the vertical rod 216. The levers 438, and slide 443'are ada ted to cause insertion of the lowering cam w en the vertical rod is lowered sufiiclently to cause the pin 228 to press downwardly on one end of the bell crank lever 438. -The adjustment of parts in the example shown in the drawings is such that the vertical rod 216 has movement both intermediateand outside its operation of theraising and lowering cams,

this movement being availed of to actuate the usual widening picker 680 through the dropper arm 218.

The vertical rod 216 can be considered a single-controlled means or longitudinally movable rod and is operated from a special cam drum 454 fast on the pattern chain shaft 80 by means of levers 455 and 456 on a shaft 124. Complete independence and adjustabilityof the widening pick and each of the needle cams is obtained by five heights of operating cams for the gravity rod. The highest or short butt cam 457 is adapted to cause the insertion of the raising cam all the way in where it raises the short butt needles. The next lower or long butt cam 458 causes insertion of the raising cam to a 459 are sufliciently high so that the dropper arm 218 leaves the widening pick in its uppermost position. The next lower or dropper cam 464 also leaves the pin at such a level that boththe raising cam 439 and the lowering cam 440 are out of contact with the needle butts but the dro per is held down out of its upper path where it would conthat that pick is not moved fromt e position given it by the dropper cam 464. It will be noted that the two cams are inserted by longitudinal movement of the rod 216 in opposite directions. It willbe observed that,

the vertical rod moves each needle cam independently of the other and independently of the widening pick.

In order to throw half of the needles out of action first on one side and then on the other for the knittin of the narrowed and widened pockets on either side of the fabric the butts of the needles can be made of two lengths, one half of the circle being long and the other half being short. In the machine shown in the drawings the heel is knit on the short butt needles and the toe is knit on the long butt needles. In the making of the heel the long butt needles are raised out of action in the usual, manner before beginning the heel, the novel raising cam 439 being inserted by the long butt drum cam 458 to a position where it engages the long butts but does not engage the short butts. When making the toe it is necessary to throw the short butt needles out of action and knit the toe pocket on the long butt needles and this I accomplish by means of a special drawdown cam 8 shown in Fig. 10. This drawdown cam is located on the cam cylinder at a position where it will engagethe needle butts coming from the stitch cams. It is partially inserted to a point where it will draw the long butt needles down to a level well below the raising cam 439. At this level the long buttneedles pass harmlessly underneath the raising cam 439 and the long butt needles therefore remain in action and knit. The short butt needles, however, not having been lowered by the draw-down cam 8 are engaged by the raising cam 439 which has been inserted all the way and the short butt needles are therefore raised out of action. This special draw-down cam can be inserted andwithdrawn from the main pattern drum 120 by means of a thrust rod 460 whose upper end is pivoted to a bell crank lever 466 whose other arm actuates a lever 434 controlling the slide 431 on which the draw-down cam is mounted. The lever 434 and the slide are both mounted on a bracket 430. The cam 501 on the main pattern drum 120 which actuates this special draw-down cam 8 is positioned to act just before knitting of the toe pocket commences and is of such a height as to cause insertion of the draw; down cam far enough to catch the long butts and miss the short butts.

concerns makin' a stocking having the loo ing line under t e too, will now be set f0 The manufacture of the stocking down to the beginning of the heel is made in the regular way. During the making of the leg neither of the special drum cams 117 on the belt shipper drum come within the reach of special pawl 116 and the lever 456 is riding on the surface of the drum 454 between the retraction cam 459 at the ri ht and the long buttcam 458 at the top of t e drum as it appears in Fig. 4. The drum is revolving 1n the direction shown by the arrow. The lowering cam 440 is in operative position with relation to all the needles and all the needles are in action, the widening pick 680 therefore being idle. When approaching the heel, the racking of the ratchet wheel 86 by its pawl 87 brings a lug on the pattern chain 85 under the main pawl control 83. The arm 83c thereupon lowers the awl 82 into contact with the main rack w eel 81 and on the reverse stroke of the quadrant the pawl 82 engages one of the teeth in the rack wheel and turns that wheel around until the cam ath on the drum 9O shifts the fork 92 to the eft, meshing the tenon 331 with one of the notches in the pinion'35. This same turning of the main rack wheel 81 acting through the shaft with the gears 122, 123, 121, turns the main pattern drum 120, causing any necessary changes in yarn. The special drum 454 is advanced simultaneously until the long butt cam 458 raises the vertical rod 216 and the pin 228, retracting the lowering cam 440 and inserting the raising cam 439 half way so that it engages the long butt needles. These changes occur at the beginning of the rack and after the long butt needles have been raised out of action the continued turning of the special drum 454 brings the dropper cam 464 into active position and drops the vertical rod until theraising cam 439 is retracted from contact with the long butt needles. The machine then commences reciprocation, the usual narrowing picks raising needles out of action from each end of the active segment as the machine reciprocates.

When the narrowed segment of the heelis finished, the attern c'hain again ermits-the main rack w eel 81 to be turne bringing one of the retraction cams 459 into operative position. In this position both the raisin and lowering cams are still retracted and out of contact with the needle butts while the widening. pick 680 is allowed to return to its uppermost position from which it had been lowered by the dropper cam 464. The dropper or widening pick immediately starts picking needles down into act-ion and t e widened segment of the heel is formed.

About two revolutions of the needle cylinder prior to the time when the clutch is to be shifted from reciprocation to rotary knitting,

5 the cam 119 on the gear causes the pawl Y to turn the belt shifter drum. This turning of the belt shifter drum racks the clutch drum 90, and the cam path on that latter drum 1s so set as to shift the clutch into the notch 376 as a result of the rack given by thebelt shifter drum. This occurs as the ne'edle'cylinder is about to be l throatplate, as shown in Fig. 11. The'arrow indicates the knitting point. It will be noted that'it is the high butt needles which are op- 'te the knitting cams but those needles bemg out of action, there are no needle butts passing through the knitting cams 361, 357, 3.60 at the moment when the clutch is shifted. When this shift of the clutch occurs, the gadrant is in its uppermost position, as own in Fig. 3. The needle cylinder is momentarily stationary and the clutch therefore disenga s easily and shifts over into engagement with-the notch 37 b in the face 37 of the rack clutch pinion 38. This notch 37b has a proper relation with the clutch. The notch 37a has a similar bevel. Since, as already explained, the needle cylinder makes one complete revolution during an oscillation of the uadrant from its top to bottom position when e needle cylinder is reciprocating, it follows that the first half of the last oscillation of the needle cylinder in the forward direction-which in the prior machine would have been given b the reciprocating mechanism is given by t e rota mechanism. -However, that rotary mechamsm revolves the needle cylinder at twice the speed given by the reclprocatory mechanism, and therefore by the .time the quadrant has reached its mid-position shown in Fig. 2 where the shift would ordinaril be made, the needle cylinder has advanced a full revolution instead of a half revolution. The machine therefore enters on the knitting of the foot with the needle cylinder half a revolution ahead of its ordinary gosition. The pattern chain lug which would ave caused the shifting of the clutch at the normal time, then racks the main rack wheel 81 forward the part of the clutch shifting rack not given from the belt shifter drum, in time to cause the necessary movement of the vertical rod 216, changes in yarns, and yarn tension. The vertical rod is dropped to its lowermost position at this time between the cams 459 and 457 and the foot is then made as usual.

Going into the toe the changes are all its last oscillation in the for- 'ward' directlon, and at that instant the butts of the needles are located relatively .to the.

- cam 8 operated from the main pattern drum bevel 37a to assist the tenon 331 catching in the notch as the pinion 38 revolves into the rod 216 which during the making of the foot I has been in its lowermost position with the lowering cam 440 in active position, the raising cam fully retracted and the widening pick uppermost position, the lowering .cam 440 is retracted andthe raisin cam 439 is inserted all theway to raise all t e needles passing at this level. Since the toe is to be knit with long butt-needles, the short butt needles must be gftten' ou't of the way and this is accomplis ed by means of the special draw-down bv thethrust rod 460, bell crank lever 466, and

pivoted lever 434. The cam cylinder and the raising and lowering cams are so cut that needles drawndown by this special cam go below the raising cam and are raised to normal knitting level immediately thereafter. Thus needles acted upon by this draw-down cam 8 are not thrown out of action by the raising cam 439. When the draw-down cam 8 is not in action, the needles proceed at normal level after leaving the stitch cam 360 and lggin the path of the ordinary raising cam This special draw-down cam can be inserted at any desired time after completion of the heel but I prefer to insert it at the same time that the machine starts knitting the foot. This drawing down of the high butts does not affect the rotary knitting as the cam cylinder raises the needles to normal level again just after the butts 'have passed the raising cam 439 (Fig. 10)

As the rack which shifted the clutch to reciprocating knitting is completed, thrust rod 460 controlling the draw-down cam 8 dropsofi its drum cam: and withdraws this cam from its contact with the high butt needles. This withdrawal occurs just as the needle cylinder stops moving in the forward direction preparatory to beginn' its first reverse stroke. At this moment thfiow butt needles have been raised out of action by the raising cam 439 and the high butt needles have been passed under the special draw-down cam. The raisin cam 439 can be withdrawn at the same time y cutting back the short butt cam 457 so that the vertical rod drops down onto the surface of the cam 465 at this moment.

The machine now knits the narrowed segment of the toe and after that is done the pattern chain racks the special drum 454 forward untilthe retraction cam 459 raises the vertical rod and the widening pick 680 goes to its uppermost path and begins to ick down the long butt needles which. have n picked out of action.

Coming off the toe the s uence of events is similar to that coming 0 the heel, except thatthe positions of the high and low butt needle segments are reversed. At the moment when the-clutch is shifted to rotary are the needles wh1c knitting the needles are in the position shown in 'Fig. 12. It will be observed that here again the needles op osite the knitting camsare out of action (in this instance the short butt needles), and therefore picking up the needlecylinder to speed is done without the drag of the needle. butts in the knitting cams. This drag of the needle butts is the greater part of the inertia mass and this separation of the inertia due to the Weight of the cylinder from the inertia due to the passing of the needle butts through the knitting cams is a very important feature of this invention. needles in knitting position reach the knitting cams the needle cylinder has, of course,

attained full speed.

As in the case of the heel, the sequence of events coming off the toe include shifting of the clutch when the quadrant is at the end of its preceding upward oscillation rather than in the middle of its downward oscillation and in this way the cylinder is advanced another half revolution to the timed relation which it occupied when knitting the leg of the stocking. The machine is therefore ready -to knit the loopers rounds and start the next stocking in the ordinary manner.

In the patent to Albert E. Page No. 1,853,- 520, dated April 12, 1932, the obtaining of the variation in the angular relation of the cylinder and the clutchjaw by retarding the cylinder, is claimed specifically.

It will be observed that according to this invention no additional point of disengagement is introduced between the driving pulleys and the needle cylinder or pattern chain and it will be further observed that the movements of the needle cylinder are not changed in any way except to speed same-up at two oints in the cycle of operation. It will also he observed that by this invention means have been devised for shifting the clutch at times which differ relatively to the position of the associated parts and that this has been accomplished in a manner which distributes the shock of starting the needle cylinder over a period of time, thus making it practical to start the needle cylinder from stationary po* sition to immediate full speed. It will also be observed that the clutch can be manipulated to cause the loss of a half revolution by the needle cylinder if it is shifted from the rotary clutch pinion to the other and immediately shifted back again to the first pinion. Many other variations will occur to those skilled in the art which do not depart from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A, circular knitting machine having a revolving pattern means to control the knitting operations of the machine, and a clutch controlled by said pattern means adapted to cause reciprocatory or rotary knitting at re- By the time thespectively different speeds, in combination with means adapted to vary the time of shift of the clutch relatively to the pattern means not more than one course of knitting.

2. A circular knitting machinehaving a revolving needle cylinder, and a clutch adapted to cause reciprocatory or rotary knitting by" said cylinder, in combination with automatic means associated with the clutch ada ted to cause said cylinder to gain a half 0? a revolution between the beginning ofthe heel and beginning of the toe without discontinuing the drive of said cylinder.

3. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, and a clutch adapted to cause reciprocatory or rotary knitting by said cylinder, in combination with automatic means associated with the clutch adapted to cause said cylinder to knit an extra half course of stitches in the foot without discontinuing the drive of said cylinder.

4. A circular knitting machine having a clutch adapted to cause reciprocatory or rotary knitting at respectively difi'erent speeds, in combination with means adapted to shift the clutch from reciprocatory to rotary knitting at the end of an oscillation in the direction opposite to rotary knitting.

5. A circular knitting machine having a knitting head, a rotating element in said knitting head, mechanism adapted to cause I clutch and automatic means associated with the clutch and adapted to vary the time of the shifting of the clutch a partial course of knitting from the normal time.

6. A circular knitting machine having a quadrant, revolving pattern means controlling the normal time of shift of the clutch relative to the'quadrant, and a clutch adapted to cause reciprocatory or rotary knitting, in combination with means adapted to vary the time of shift of the clutch relatively to the movement of the quadrant from the normal, when changing from reciprocating to rotary knitting.

7'. A circular knitting machine for making seamless stockings having a revolving needle cylinder, a clutch connected thereto, mechanism adapted to rotate said clutch and other mechanism including an oscillatory member adapted to cause reciprocation of said clutch, driving means for the machine, in combination with a pattern chain driven by said oscillatory member controlling the shifting of said clutch and means operated from the driving mechanism adapted to shift the clutch sooner than indicated by the pattern chain.

8. A circular knitting machine for making to rotate said needle cylinder at anothercircumferential speed and a; pattern chain adapted to be racked forward at a constant speed, in combination with a clutch whose time of shift is controlled by said pattern chain adapted to connect one or'the other mechanism to said needle cylinder and means adapted to vary the time of the shift of the clutch relatively to the pattern chain without leaving the needle cylinder'standing still.

9. A circular knitting machine having a revolving pattern means to control the knitting operations of the machine, a knitting head, knittin cams on said head, a rotating needle cvlin er in the knitting head and a clutch a apted to cause reciprocatory or rotary movement of the needle cylinder, in combination with means to shift the cylinder out of its normal circumferential relation to the knitting cams without discontinuing the drive of the needle cylinder.

10. A circular knitting machine for making seamless stockings having a revolving needle cylinder, a knitting head containing said cylinder, a clutch collar, an oscillating clutch element and a rotating clutch element, said clutch elements being adapted to drive said cylinder at different speeds, in combination with pawl means adapted to shift said clutch when the two clutch elements are 180? out of what would be their normal registry when the clutch is shifted, thus causing the needle cylinder to be driven out of its normal relation with the rest of the machine.

11. A circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder, independent needles therein having butts, and a clutch adapted to cause the cylinder to reciprocate at one average speed or rotate at a higherspeed, in combination with means adapted to adjust the kniting cams for the shift from reciprocatory-to rotary knitting, and other means adapted to shift the clutch to rotary knitting a sufiicient length of time prior to the shift of the kniting cams to cause the clutch shift to be made while none of the needle butts are in the knitting cams.

12. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, knitting cams associated therewith, a clutch adapted to cause reciprocatory or rotary movement of the cylinder, said clutch being shifted from one position to another to change the cylinder from reciprocation to rotation and vice versa, and revolving pattern means controlling the time of shift of the clutch, in combination with means adapted to vary the time of shift of the clutch relatively to the movement of said pat; tern means to shift the cylinder out of its nor- 'revolving needle cylinder, a clutch adapte' cause reciprocatory or rotar movement of the timing of the cylinder and the means.

mal circumferentialrelation to the knitting cams.

1B. A circular knitting machine havin a (is the c linder at res ectively different average spec said clutch ing shifted from one position to another to change the cylinder from reci rocation to rotation and vice versa, and revo ving patternmeans controlling the time of shift 0 the clutch, in combination with means adapted to vary the time of shift of the clutch relatively to the pattern means the equivalent of one-half revolution of the needle cylinder during rotation.

14. A circular knitting machine having a revolving cylinder, revolving pattern means and a clutch adapted to cause reciprocatory or rotary movement of the cylinder, said clutch bein shifted from one position to another to c ange the cylinder from reciprocation to rotation and vice versa, said elements being so constructed and arranged that the cylinder and the pattern means have one average speed relation during rotation of the cyhn during reciprocation, said pattern means controlling the time of shift of said clutch, in

combination withv means adapted to vary the time of shift of the clutch relativelyl to the anging pattern pattern means for the purpose of "c 15. A circular knitting machine having a revolvin needle cylinder, revolving pattern means a apted to control the knitting operations of the machine and a clutch adapted to cause reciprocatory or'rotary knitting, said clutch being shifted from one position to another to c ange the cylinder from reciprocation to rotation and vice versa, with respect to the movementsof said pattern means, said pattern means controlling the time of shift of the clutch, in combination with means adapted to vary the time of shift of the clutch relatively to the pattern means the equivalent of not more than one course of knitting.

16. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, a clutch adapted to cause reciprocatory or rota movement of the c linder at res ctively di erent average spee said clutch ing shifted from one position to another to change the cylinder from reci rocation to rotation and viceversa, a qua rant adapted to drive the said clutch during reciprocatory knitting whose cycle of movement corresponds to that of the needle cylinder during reciprocatory knitting, in combination with means adapted to vary the time of shift of the clutch relatively to the quadrant less than one cycle of movement of the quadrant.

17. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, knitting cams associated therewith, a clutch adapted to cause er, and another average speedrelation needle cylinder, a clutch adapted to cause the cylinder to reciprocate or to rotate and knitting cams associated with the cylinder, said clutch being shifted from one position to another to change the cylinder from reciprocation to rotation and vice versa,in combination with means ada ted to adjust the kniting cams for the shi t from reciprocatory to rotary knitting in normal relation to the clutch shift, and other means adapted to shift the clutch to rotary knitting at a moment suificiently separated from the corresponding adjustment of the knitting cams to bring the cylinder half a revolution out of time with its position if the shifting of the clutch and cams had occurred in normal relation.

19. In a circular knitting machine the combination of needle and cam cylinders, one of said cylinders being driven, a clutch for said driven cylinder adapted to be shifted from one side to the other for the purpose of changing from rotary to reciprocatory knitting and vice versa, and means adapted to shift said clutch into a plurality of angular relations with said driven cylinder on one side, to chan e the circumferential relation of the two cy inders from normal.

20. A circular knitting machine having needle and cam cylinders, a clutch adapted to cause reciprocatory or rotary movement of one of said cylinders, said clutch being shifted from one position to another to change the cylinder from rotation to reciprocation and vice versa, in combination with revolving pattern means controlling the knitting operations of the machine, and means adapted to va the time of shift of the clutch relatively to t e pattern means.

21. A circular knitting machine having a clutch adapted to change said machine from rotary to reciprocatory knitting and vice versa, and an oscillating quadrant adapted to drive said clutch for reciprocatory knitting, and a drum to shift said clutch, in combination with means including a pawl on said quadrant adapted to rack said drum when the uadrant is at the mid-point of its stroke to s ift theclutch, and auxiliary means adapted I to rack said drum at one end of the stroke of the quadrant in order to change the relation of the c linder andthe'knittin cams.

22. circular knitting mac ine for making seamless stockings, having a knitting head with a rotating cylinder therein, driving mechanism adapted to cause to and fro or circular knittin and revolving pattern means controllin t e shifting of said drivin mechanism rom to and froto circular knittting and vice versa, the purpose of the shifting being to change from to and fro to circular knitting and vice versa, in combination' with means adapted to vary, from the indications of the rotating pattern means, the lengths of time that the rotating cylinder is driven in to and fro and in circular knitting,

the drive of said cylinder being continuous.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT E. PAGE. 

